IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 227 

Calling on the President to work toward equitable, constructive, stable, and 

durable Armenian-Turkish relations based upon the Republic of Turkey’s 

full acknowledgment of the facts and ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide, and a fair, just, and comprehensive international resolution of this crime against humanity. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 20, 2013 

Mr. VALADAO (for himself, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. PALLONE, and Mr. GRIMM) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Calling on the President to work toward equitable, constructive, stable, and durable Armenian-Turkish relations 

based upon the Republic of Turkey’s full acknowledgment of the facts and ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide, and a fair, just, and comprehensive international resolution of this crime against humanity. 

Whereas the Obama Administration has, since early 2009, 

sought to improve Armenian-Turkish relations through 

diplomatic efforts to lift the Republic of Turkey’s blockade of Armenia and facilitate an end to Ankara’s refusal 

to establish diplomatic relations with Yerevan; 


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•HRES 227 IH 

Whereas at the start of this process, President Barack 

Obama had, on April 6, 2009, voiced the United States 

Government’s expectation that Armenia-Turkey dialogue 

would ‘‘bear fruit very quickly’’, but that, since then, the 

Obama Administration has commended Armenia’s participation in this dialogue while holding Turkey largely 

responsible for the lack of results from this process, with 

the Secretary of State noting, on June 4, 2012, that, on 

this matter, ‘‘the ball remains in Turkey’s court.’’; 

Whereas on April 24, 2013, President Barack Obama stated, 

‘‘A full, frank, and just acknowledgment of the facts is 

in all of our interests. Nations grow stronger by acknowledging and reckoning with painful elements of the past, 

thereby building a foundation for a more just and tolerant future.’’; 

Whereas the Republic of Turkey, rather than acknowledging 

and reckoning with painful elements of the past, has escalated its international campaign of Armenian Genocide 

denial, maintained its blockade of Armenia, and increased 

its pressure on the small but growing Turkish civil society movement acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and 

seeking justice for this systematic campaign of destruction of millions of Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, 

Pontians, Syriacs, and other Christians upon their biblical-era homelands; 

Whereas the United States is on record as having officially 

recognized the Armenian Genocide, in the United States 

Government’s May 28, 1951, written statement to the 

International Court of Justice regarding the Convention 

on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, through President Ronald Reagan’s April 22, 1981, 

Proclamation No. 4838, and by Congressional legislation, 


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•HRES 227 IH 

including House Joint Resolution 148 adopted on April 

8, 1975, and House Joint Resolution 247 adopted on 

September 10, 1984; 

Whereas even prior to the Convention on the Prevention and 

Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the United States 

has a record of having sought to justly and constructively 

address the consequences of the Ottoman Empire’s intentional destruction of the Armenian people, including 

through Senate Concurrent Resolution 12 adopted on 

February 9, 1916, Senate Resolution 359 adopted on 

May 11, 1920, and President Woodrow Wilson’s Decision 

of the President of the United States of America Respecting the Frontier between Turkey and Armenia, Access for Armenia to the Sea, and the Demilitarization of 

Turkish Territory Adjacent to the Armenian Frontier, 

dated November 22, 1920; 

Whereas President Barack Obama entered office having stated his ‘‘firmly held conviction that the Armenian Genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point 

of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported 

by an overwhelming body of historical evidence’’, affirmed 

his record of ‘‘calling for Turkey’s acknowledgment of the 

Armenian Genocide’’, and pledged that ‘‘as President I 

will recognize the Armenian Genocide’’; and 

Whereas the United States national interests in the establishment of equitable, constructive, stable, and durable relations between Armenians and Turks cannot be meaningfully advanced by circumventing or otherwise seeking to 

avoid materially addressing the central political, legal, security, and moral issue between these two nations, Turkey’s denial of truth and justice for the Armenian Genocide: Now, therefore, be it 


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•HRES 227 IH 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives calls on 

2 the President to work toward equitable, constructive, sta3 ble, and durable Armenian-Turkish relations based upon 

4 the Republic of Turkey’s full acknowledgment of the facts 

5 and ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide, and 

6 a fair, just, and comprehensive international resolution of 

7 this crime against humanity. 

Æ 


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